Mets Optimistic About Senga and Lindor Returning This Month

The New York Mets are in desperate need of reinforcement in their pitching rotation and are looking forward to the return of right-hander Kodai Senga. The team's hopes have been bolstered following Senga's recent rehab appearance with Double-A Binghamton. In his first game back after being sidelined due to ulnar nerve discomfort, Senga pitched six solid innings against Double-A Somerset, allowing just one solo home run and one walk while recording five strikeouts. He threw 75 pitches, with the home run being the only hit he surrendered. Manager Carlos Mendoza described the outing as “encouraging.”

“It shows you that he threw strikes and he competed in the strike zone, so it was good to see it,” Mendoza remarked on Friday at Citi Field. The Mets are planning for Senga to have another rehab start, as they seek more consistent performances before activating him. Fortunately, the ulnar nerve pain does not appear to be affecting his performance. “That didn’t seem to affect him at all because he was throwing the very next day,” Mendoza added. “But it’s just day to day with him.”

In addition, the Mets are anticipating the return of right-hander Tobias Myers from Triple-A next week, although he is not expected to rejoin the rotation as a starter. The team initially hoped to stretch him out for starting duties, but time constraints have made this challenging, as he is currently only prepared to pitch around 40-45 pitches.

The starting pitcher for Saturday's game has not yet been confirmed, with the Mets needing to evaluate their bullpen after Friday's match against the Atlanta Braves. While the team expresses confidence in left-hander Sean Manaea, they seem inclined to utilize an opener instead, as seen in previous games.

Meanwhile, the Mets are also focused on the recovery of shortstop Francisco Lindor, who is working his way back from a left calf strain. To expedite his rehabilitation, the team arranged for him to face live pitching and practice defensive movements in a controlled setting at Citi Field. Lindor is anticipated to return to the lineup later this month, as confirmed by president of baseball operations David Stearns, who stated, “I think from the larger picture, our expectations are that he’s going to play games for us this month.”